Whats new in Western Australia ?

Tasty tips for gourmet getaways in Western Australia

Australia’s food scene has become increasingly sophisticated and there is nowhere better than the West Coast to try out its hidden gems (world-beating chardonnays, biggest producer of black truffles outside Europe and a new food festival that is attracting the likes of Heston Blumenthal and Rick Stein every November). Now there is a one-stop website to help you plan a gourmet getaway. Passionate foodie Rich Keam from Brighton beat 90,000 applicants from around the world to be crowned Western Australia’s Taste Master in June 2013. For the next 6 months Rich will forage out the State’s finest produce from seafood to bush tucker, and blog about its best bars, restaurants, wineries and micro-breweries. Gourmands planning a trip to Australia should visit his blog to get insider tips and video guides to WA’s cities and wine regions as well as recipes and restaurant reviews visitwww.tastewesternaustralia.com

New cruise from Europe to Fremantle, Western Australia

Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) plans to change the way we travel to and from Australia with a new programme of voyages. The company will be operating the premium ship ‘Astor’ which carries 600 guests with twice yearly ocean voyages between the UK & Europe, to Perth in Western Australia from 5 November this year and then start a summer season of cruises from Fremantle, Perth commencing 12th December 2013–along the West Coast as well as circumnavigating Australia. A cruise from Tillbury in the UK to Fremantle will take place in November 2014, retracing the steps of the ten pound poms. Head of Marketing at CMV Mike Hall said “This is an opportunity to experience the bygone days of ocean travel with just 600 people on board you can relax and enjoy a quality and stylish ship. We have been showing the ship to the media and our travel trade partners recently and they are impressed with this wonderful traditional ship”.

The 36 night Southbound cruise departs 5th November with calls at Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore en route to Western Australia and costs from £2,169 pp. Be one of the first to experience this new cruise, before exploring Perth, Australia’s sunniest city, which is currently undergoing a renaissance with new hotels, bars and restaurants.

Cruise ships set to visit the Margaret River region

Visitors will soon be able to arrive in Western Australia’s stunning surf and wine region, Margaret River, by cruise ship, following an announcement that region will be included in P & O Cruises’ 2015 cruise program from Fremantle. Departing from Fremantle, the cruises will dock at the iconic Busselton jetty which, at 1.8kms is the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Currently, cruises are set to run in April and May 2015 where around 2,000 visitors per cruise will visit WA’s South West . Day tour packages will be available to take visitors into the heart of the Margaret River region to explore a selection of wineries, craft breweries and gourmet food producers. pocruises.com.au

Skydive WA’s beaches and beyond
Skydive Express has recently launched a new skydive experience over the snow white sands and turquoise waters of Rockingham, 45 minutes’ drive south west of Perth city. The closest beach skydive to Perth city, the new Rockingham drop follows the recent opening of Skydive Express’ Perth drop, which is one of the only CBD skydives in the world. Starting in WA, Skydive Express is rolling out a nation-wide rebrand and will now be operating as premier skydiving brand, Skydive the Beach and Beyond.
W: skydive.com.au/locations/rockingham

Ningaloo Sea Kayak Trail

Ten kayak moorings have been put in along Ningaloo Marine Park as the first step to developing a sea kayak trail along the coast of this World Heritage listed area. They have immediately given kayakers an easy way to experience Ningaloo Reef, the world’s longest fringing reef with fantastic locations to paddle out to, easily tie-off and jump in at great offshore snorkelling sights. It is hoped within five years there might be a full trail the 300km length of Ningaloo Reef, from Red Bluff past Coral Bay and Cape Range National Park to Bundegi, in the Exmouth Gulf, with separate camp spots.

In WA, the Bibbulmun Track has been an international trail success, leading to the introduction of the Munda Biddi off-road cycle trail, which at 1000km is the longest of its type in the world. The Ningaloo Sea Kayak Trail follows in this vein; specialist and sought-after.

Capricorn Sea Kayaking offers a fully guided 3 day tour along Ningaloo Reef including kayaking, snorkelling and camping equipment as well as meals for $999 www.capricornseakayaking.com.au